New and need some help

[rangerj64]

I have a Sunbird 175 Corsica with an OMC cobra 4.3, and I am having some reverse problems. Forward gear is fine, neutral is no problem, but when shifting into reverse it sounds like it's slipping in and out of gear. There is a really loud kachunk noise that is repeated over and over and is present at all trim levels. At first if I just moved the throttle handle further back the noise seemed to stop, but that no longer works and is also dangerous because of the added speed. My first thought was the cable because the noise stopped when I moved it further back, but now since that no longer works, I don't know. Is going into gear electronic or mechanical? Could this be a switch problem, cable, clutch, gear? Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance, this looks like a pretty good site.

[keithkelley]

I know very little about inboard engines but if this were an outboard engine I would say that you have a clutch dog that is worn on the reverse side. I am not at all sure if an inboard system even uses a clutch dog.

[gonzo]

The drive is an OMC/Volvo joint venture type. The cone clutch is probably worn.

[Buckle]

I could be barking completely up the wrong tree, but the cause for this excessive wear and tear is the speed at which you engage your z drive.

I use to have a Bayliner capri with a 4.3lt OMC cobra engine and bravo 2 leg too. The engine use to tick over at quiet some speed. As a result, upon selecting foward to reverse, crunching use to always occur. I overcame this problem be allowing a second or two between gear changes.

The crunching stopped as it allowed the poor old dog clutches to equalise there speeds with the output from the engine.

This basic advice may help save you some money in the future.

buckle

[scarmack]

I had a sunbird 195 with an omc a few years back with the same problem just reversed, mine slipped in and out of forward gear. I searched and searched for the problem and finally found that the actual clamp that held the shift cable stationary was loose allowing the cable to move just a little as I engaged the lever. This seems trivial yet it was my problem all along. Check where the cable housing mounts to the engine and have someone engage the remote while you look closely, if it slips at all, that could be your problem, this can be observed with engine off.
Good Luck,
Scott